Abeokuta: South Africa’s Oluchi Ndubueze expressed her excitement and honor after winning a gold medal in the Confederation of African Athletes (CAA) U18/U20 Championships held in Abeokuta. Ndubueze triumphed in the U-18 women’s long jump event with a leap of 5.79 meters, outperforming Morocco’s Merzarq Kawtar and Burundi’s Bouda Sandrine, who secured silver and bronze respectively.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ndubueze, who has Nigerian roots, expressed her joy at winning in her father’s homeland. She shared her gratitude for the opportunity to compete internationally in Nigeria and emphasized her pride in her dual heritage.
Reflecting on her performance, Ndubueze is now setting her sights on the 2028 Olympics. She acknowledged the quality of her performance but remains focused on further improvement. The athlete plans to return to training to assess her strengths and weaknesses.
Ndubueze’s motivation stems from her desire to glorify God and inspire young black girls. She attributes her success to her parents’ support and considers athletics a calling rather than just a hobby. The gold medal is dedicated to her parents, who were present to witness her achievement.
She encourages young athletes to persevere despite challenges, drawing from her own experience of narrowly missing a medal in a previous race. Ndubueze’s message to aspiring athletes is to remain resilient and determined, regardless of the difficulties they may face.
